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- The Dynapower series reestablishes itself as a best-in-class golf set thanks to a next-gen design that improves forgiveness and distance potential.
- The sleek, retro design has a cool factor nearly every golfer will love.
FOR GOLF brands, it’s hard to make something old new again. That’s especially true for Wilson, who has been making golf clubs for over a century. For me, a casual golfer, I have my own definition of what Wilson clubs mean: reliable, stable and affordable.
Take its Dynapower golf clubs, which were the best-in-class for over 20 years, starting in mid 1950s up until the ‘70s. Back then, the Dynapower series was known for two key qualities: dynamism and power, hence the name. Pro golfers especially liked using the first Dynapower irons, which had an innovative hollowed-out hole design on the bottom of each club that removed unneeded weight and provided consistently great shots. Arnold Palmer used them to stage a legendary performance at the 1960 US Open, one of the best comebacks in the sport to date. In 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard took his very Dynapower iron on Apollo 14 and tee’d up two shots on the moon.
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As other golf brands improved their gear, Dynapower’s tech wasn’t as innovative as it once was, so Wilson put the series to rest. Now, 67-years after the first release of the Dynapower clubs, Wilson is bringing back the iconic series and revamping it with a suite of 2023 features that provide extra forgiveness and a greater distance potential off the tee. Ahead of Dynapower’s 2.0 drop, I spent an afternoon test driving them on the links. Here’s what we thought of them:
Dynapower Is Designed to Limit Bad Shots
When you haven’t swung a club in several months, bad shots are bound to happen. That’s how I spent the first 30 minutes on the Troon Golf Course in Scottsdale, Ariz, practicing my swing so I wouldn’t embarrass myself on the links. This gave me time to inspect the new Dynapower line, which includes a titanium driver and a carbon driver, a set of hybrids and fairway woods, and a set of graphite irons and steel irons.
First impression: they honor the Dynapower name. Just like how Wilson brought fresh ideas to its Dynapower clubs decades ago, the new version seems to do the same. For example, the irons include an updated Power Holes 3.0, elongated holes at the edge of the clubs that can help improve ball speed and shot that aren’t perfectly squared up.
Wilson Dynapower Graphite Irons
Wilson Dynapower Steel Irons
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Wilson also used artificial intelligence to optimize Dynapower’s performance. Its A.I. machine analyzed thousands of swings by newbie golfers to create an iron face that limits center-to-toe misses. That means even if you pull away (rookie mistake) and fail to square up your ball, the irons will still give you a good chance of getting a decent shot result.
Wilson Dynapower Graphite Irons
Wilson Dynapower Steel Irons
That same A.I. tech was also used on the drivers. And after testing both types of clubs, I found that they maximize each swing on the tee to get the cleanest and furthest shot. In other words, Dynapower hangs with the best high-performance clubs on the market.
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What Golfers Should Consider When Shopping the Clubs
As I played through the front nine at Troon, I could immediately tell a difference in power between the carbon and titanium driver. The former offers more max-distance line drives. More experienced golfers will likely find the carbon driver to provide the best performance, especially if they like to keep their ball path low and sharp.
VIEW THE DYNAPOWER COLLECTION HERE
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Looking at the irons, I found the flex on the graphite set to be a little too overwhelming for my skill level. The graphite irons certainly pack more distance potential, but I’m okay with letting up on my distance if it means a better control on my shot, and so the stiffer shafts on the steel irons gave me better stability through my swing.
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If you are an intermediate golfer, opt for the titanium driver and steel irons, which have just the right amount of stiffness and power to give you solid results on the green.
The Look and Legacy
What’s special about the new Dynapower clubs is they showcase Wilson’s rich golf heritage. Each club is emblazoned with the brand’s retro logo, and is set upon both chrome and matte black finishes for a cool and sleek vibe. When you get into this premium echelon of golf clubs, the look and feel can mean just as much as performance.
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Final Thoughts
Wilson has made plenty of top-performance clubs in the past, but its new Dynapower clubs have reestablished itself as a high performance set for experienced golfers that justify its premium price tag.
A couple of blind spots: I didn’t spend as much time on the hybrids and fairway woods. I swung them a couple of times each on the range, and used my fairway wood maybe twice when playing nine holes. But even with the limited experience, I will say I think the hybrids and fairway woods hang with how the irons and drivers perform.
If you feel like you might be taking a chance on a premium-priced Wilson driver or set of irons, take a step back from the speculation. Go test the driver, go test the irons. Then see for yourself how smooth these clubs feel.
VIEW THE DYNAPOWER COLLECTION HERE
Gear and Commerce Editor
John Thompson is the Gear and Commerce Editor at Men’s Health, where he covers fashion, grooming, gear, and technology. He was previously the Style & Gear Editor at BroBible.com, and a commerce writer for TheManual.com. His interests include shopping for rare vintage clothes and following his favorite baseball team, the Kansas City Royals.
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